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daxieoclock · 8 months

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Been lurking around your persona stuff for a while, can you tell about your hunters campaign personas and how much player input you had into them. Also Greek myth plus lovecraftian horror is fucking epic.

IT WOULD BE MY GENUINE PLEASURE ANON G-DBLESS

(Most of the art you'll see in this post was done by Nyanko, who also plays Sammy.)

"The Hunters" is a Persona tabletop campaign I've been running with my friends and partners for the last three years(!) over Discord, using a homebrew tabletop system to emulate both battles and social links. Since it's a text-based campaign, the result often approaches pretty careful collaborative storytelling.

The main hook of the campaign is a group of rabblerousing college students taking on part time work for a shady secretive organization called the Daedalus Collective, whose stated goal is protecting the world from the threat posed by Shadows. These students (and various NPCs) take on the mantle of "Hunters," traveling into a mirror world known as Fractals, where Shadows roam free, along with their eldritch monarch-deities, the monstrous Behemoths. The Hunters' mission: to locate and slay Behemoths within their twisted kingdoms.

As the Dungeon Master ("Keeper of Power" i suppose), I worked with everyone individually but their characters (including Personas) was ultimately their decision. But as for a cast list...

Blake Leto (@lilyhoshikawa) They/them Justice Arcana Persona: Artemis

Arrested at a young age, pinned for the crime of murdering a police officer and subsequently abandoned by their only living family, Blake Leto took advantage of the public fascination with their case to adopt a public facing mask pulling directly from tabloid headlines: the "Murder Prince." Intelligent, well-read and charming, a victim of circumstance with a good sense of humor about being falsely imprisoned and absolutely no resentment towards the officers who beat and abused him. It is only through this mask that Blake claws their way into a good enough reputation to be granted parole, attending Belknap College while secretly searching themselves for the real killer who they took the fall for.

(Edit by Jane)

In Fractals, Blake's spite pokes through the cracks of their mask. Clad in the armor of a paladin, channeling Artemis through their once-lost childhood journal, with the brand of a bow on their wrist. While they act as team leader and navigator, using their natural smarts and Artemis's support focus to guide the Hunters, bloodlust has started to mar their actions. A perfectly good bow is worth firing, isn't it?

Ilse Belanger (@triskaidekaphilist) They/them Fortune Arcana Persona: Clotho

Ilse wasn't meant to be Ilse. But they are. The closeted-trans child of strict and religious parents, Ilse had all but let go of control over their life. They were a good kid, a Belanger, a product of faith and privilege. They were a good kid. They were. And then there was Stephen. Their first close friend, with whom they shared their innermost self, their name and their passions and their love of fantasy. For years, the two were inseparable. And then they were separated. Even as an adult, Ilse struggles with feeling in control of their life, their narrative. Their fate does not feel like their own. But it is. Twicefold, now that they finally found him again...

In Fractals, Ilse is a supportive spellcaster with a scissor brand on their collar, pulling from Clotho's magic to cast powerful nuclear bolts. While a heavier hitter of the gang, Ilse leans towards sticking back and debilitating, following Blake's direction and helping where they can. When the occasion demands it, they will lean on Clotho's power as a weaver to rewrite fate and bend circumstance, a powerful and often-used trump card.

Lena Tarr (@mcpuliotjr, above and below art drawn by him) She/her (for now) Chariot Arcana Persona: Goliath

A baby butch with a reputation for lashing out at authority figures, Lena wears her heart on her sleeve. After spending years of her life in painful and often demoralizing surgery recovery and physical therapy for an ankle injury that never properly healed, she habitually externalizes her daily pain as open hostility, amplified by years of overbearing family making her bottle up her feelings. Over the course of the campaign, she's been hard at work fostering feelings self-worth, channeling most of that frustration into beating up Behemoths and protecting her friends. Most recently, she's taken a huge step towards healing by starting an intimate loving relationship with longtime NPC and newfound Hunter Lucy "Twitch" Blum.

In Fractals, Lena is a physical powerhouse and a tank, clad as an urban skirmisher with a brand of a broken stone on her ankle. She soaks up damage for her allies while dishing out strong physical hits in return, with the occasional burst of powerful flame from Goliath. Despite this power, her most powerful and helpful skill is her overflowing compassion and willingness to put her life on the line chasing kindness. She was the one to suggest the Hunters save a Behemoth they were assigned to kill, and it was she and Blake who were able to get through to Lucy when the girl's Persona (at that point a Shadow) went berserk.

Sammy Cabra (Nyanko) They/them Hermit Arcana Persona: Neko Shogun (perhaps...)

Samael "Sammy" Cabra is an odd duck. They're fixated on their past, forging an outwards persona based on who they were as a middle schooler - friendly, open, creative - as a rejection of their dissociated and depressive high school self. Not to say that their childish joy is an act, far from it, it is genuine and honest. But they aren't a middle schooler anymore. Young adulthood has brought its host of bitterness, especially since their foundational memories of joy involve a friend who vanished abruptly from their life, splintering them somewhat as she left. Sammy is spry and sweet, and Samael is desperate and loyal to a fault. With no one is this splinter more seen than with Prim, a vicious protective specter in Fractals. Sammy has made it their mission to integrate this violent guardian into their life and the lives of the Hunters, at any cost...

In Fractals, wearing a green cat onesie (made by their missing childhood friend Tango), with a cat-face brand on their left shoulder, Sammy is adept at both ice magic and ranged attacks, a mixed damage dealer. In theory. If they ever leaned on Samael. Sammy is hesitant to use their powers, hesitant to push Neko Shogun to his full potential, hesitant to follow in Blake and Prim's violent footsteps. They're extremely powerful but see themselves as a guardian, and their goatish stubborness leads them to fight with a shield, focusing on defense and debilitation despite their damaging skillset.

Camellia Pavel (@shinyvibrava) They/them Star Arcana [Contested] Persona: Hecate [Contested]

The bearer of the curse.

The only Hunter not currently attending Belknap College, Camellia is a chronically unemployed college dropout living in a bare-bones apartment near campus, struggling with debilitating insomnia. One part depression. One part nightmare-avoidance. They have pulled away from the party somewhat over the course of the campaign, and their quiet distance was recently revealed to be due to ongoing offscreen conversations with an eldritch deity called the Dreamer, though it goes by many other names as well. They are now hospital-bound recovering from an overuse of their new powers.

In Fractals, dressed a bit like a fantasy sage, Camellia is a capable supportive healer, balancing between firing off psychic attacks with Hecate and healing/buffing their allies. For a long while, they were the party's foremost ace in the hole, with a limited-use power known as Salvation to protect themselves and others from deadly attacks. More recently, they have been pushing themselves past their expected limits, forging new deals with the Dreamer. At times, though the brand of a key on their right shoulder is still Hecate's anchor, light bursts up from inside their throat, staining their words with great and terrible power. The nature of this strength is still not fully grasped, but it is indeed potent.

There's a LOT more to talk about when it comes to the work I've done on the world and the bonds forged between PCs and NPCs, I'd love to go off for another few thousand words, but I think I'll need to leave that to a masterpost part 2. Look forward to that later today.

To be continued........

#the hunters #blake leto #ilse belanger #lena tarr #sammy cabra #camelia pavel

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sus-bloggo · 4 months

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All of my current Slime Rancher 1 things I have after playing non-stop as of 2-8-24

-Main Ranch-

(Right side from house)

Mosaic Slimes

Crystal-Rad Largos

Tangle Slimes

Coop

(Left side from house)

2 Silos

-Grotto-

Oca Oca Garden

Heart Beet Garden

Silo

Crystal Slimes

Rock Slimes

-Overgrowth-

2 Honey-Hunter Largo Corrals

Fire Slimes

Coop

-Docks-

Puddle Slimes

-Lab-

Pink-Honey Largos

Phosphor-Tabby Largos

#Ngl i tried to keep Tarr but it despawned :(#and i tried Quantum Slimes but that's such a hassle #same with Dervish Slimes #slime rancher #slime #mosaic #crystal #tabby #rock #puddle #fire #honey #hunter #tangle #phosphor

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populousgraph · 10 months

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We got a Slime Rancher painting.

This game is literally one of my favorites since it was a childhood game for me.

I diiidd mess up the Lucky Slime and the Hunter Slime.

He's lookin at me....

With those BIG OL' EYES!

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harbors-heart · 2 years

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Slime Rancher Doodles from Memory

#Hunter Slime #Tabby Slime #pink slime #Bunny Slime #phosphor slime #rock slime #honey slime #boom slime #slime rancher #Tarr #Bee Drone

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ask-modded-slimes · 2 years

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Here's some art of some of my modded slimey boios UwU enjoy

Heres cristalina, liquid as allways, look at hose beautifull soulless eyes

Daemon looking fire as always, he seems to be pretty happy, did he steal a good soul lately? Who knows! Well he knows but not us

That bow and crown really fits her! So cute! Who's my adorable murder ball? You are!

Just a tarr, nothing special here

The great tarr! The largest tarr of all tarr, amd father of tarry, bow down for this majestic darkness rainbow

Just a normal pink gordo, cute

And here's fortune! He's looking pretty cool with that bow tie, good boio

And here's an attempt of a comparison image, i had to eyeball it but this is about it, as you can see tarry is almost as big as the pink gordo, and big enough to be a threat to a tarr

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fluffle-writes · 10 hours

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Deuce (Egg Slime) and Riddle (Honey Slime + Tangle Slime Largo)

Epel (Bunny slime) and Rook (Hunter Slime)

Ortho (Flame + Glitch Slime Largo) and Idia (Flame + Quantum Slime Largo)

[I'm reposting some of my art so I can add it to my Masterlist with more ease!]

Extra info: any characters who OB are largos in this mini AU because they can turn into Tarr slimes! If you wanna see any more slime designs LMK - I made these a long while ago but I don't mind picking it back up if anyone is interested in seeing more (^w^)

#twst #twisted wonderland #disney twst #disney twisted wonderland #slime rancher #deuce spade #riddle rosehearts #epel felmier #rook hunt #ortho shroud #idia shroud

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comicwaren · 8 months

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“Good. I tire of diplomacy.” -- General Grievous

Cover art for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #038, “The Path of the Righteous, Part 2”

Art by Marco Checchetto and Marcio Menyz

#star wars: bounty hunters #general grievous #beilert valance #tarr kligson #cover art #star wars #marvel #comics #star wars comics #marvel comics

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coyotecam · 2 years

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Hyperfixation sandwich! All of this is the og slime rancher cause the xbox is still broke! (╥︣﹏᷅╥)

Here are their slimes and favs imo BIG OL' RANT BELOW!

All in order of favorite to least favorite.

Mikey: Hunters (his favorite cause same <3), tangle, honey, tabby, and pink -- the type of player to just have an entire enclosure of pink slimes and tried to keep tarrs as angry pets. My friend said Mikey would try to feed the echoes to the slimes to see if they would glow and would squish them till they make farting noises. Oh also has all the outfits for the little guys!

Raph: Sabers(After that all of his largos were saber combos) crystals, rock, tabby, lucky, tabby, and puddle slimes(2nd fav) -- the completionist only second to Donnie, collected a bunch of puddle slimes, goes out of his way to give all the slimes toys, and feeds all feral slimes they come across.

Donnie: Glitch and Quantum slimes are his favorite cause the slimy texture of any other slime is icky(same bro same). His ammo other slimes are rad, dervish, and rock. -- seriously...? ugh science guy def cosplays Viktor and he's his favorite character, has all the blueprints unlocked and the entire map is covered with inventions. Number 1 Completionist has everything to 100% and spent way too long trying to find gilded ginger (cries into my singular glided ginger that took 10+ hours to get)

Leo: Phosphor (he says it's mosaics but he gets blown up too much they make funny faces tho), mosaic, quicksilver, fire, boom, crystal slimes. -- has all the damaging slimes and just kinda runs into the enclosures absent-mindedly and just dies (sweats profusely) filled the grotto with echos, and also tried to feed them to slimes.

#coyotecam #hyperfixation sandwich #slime rancher #rottmnt raph #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt leo #rottmnt #crossover #i guess?#this took far too long #10 hours #specifically #rottmnt headcanons #rottmnt shitpost #rottmnt fanart #save rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt raph with tail supremacy

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mandalorianchronicles · 1 year

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Mandalorian History 101

The following is a simplified timeline of all the major events in Mandalorian history leading up to The Clone Wars. This is compiled from the section of The Bounty Hunter Code dealing with Death Watch and Mandalorian history. It is copywrite 2014, the first year of the new canon. Though the book is not included in Disney canon, it was published after TCW episodes dealing Death Watch and not been refuted by anything in current canon, so there is no reason to believe it is not accurate.

approx. 7000 BBY - The Taung race (Progenitors of present day Mandalorians) cleanse Mandalorian space of its inhabitants and lay down roots

approx. 4000 BBY - Mandalorians fight alongside the Sith in the Great Sith War, but are betrayed - Mand’alor the Ultimate opens up the creed to their slaves and conquered people because their race is dying out - They begin a campaign for galactic conquest called The Onlaught, but it was more to fill out their ranks with new recruits - They are defeated by the Republic and the Mandalorians lay low for a time

approx. 1100 BBY - Mand’alor the Uniter brought the best and brightest Mandalorians from the throughout the galaxy home - Warriors ruled, protecting the artisans, manufacturers, and laborers who supported them, and the vassals and servants who supported them in turn - The Darksaber is forged by Tarre Vizsla (the only Mandalorian to become a Jedi)

approx. 700 BBY - Mandalorians begin to stir again and the Jedi take up arms, nearly wiped them out in the “Annihilation” - The New Mandalorians who rejected the warrior ways gain power when the Republic installed them in the government - The Aka’liit (The Mandalorian Faithful to the warrior way) lived in the shadows, giving the allegiance to the True Mandalores they appointed

approx. 200 BBY - There is a split among the Faithful – some wanted to conquer any potential threats while others argued against starting wars and living by more peaceful means

approx. 60 BBY - The Faithful chose Jaster Mereel as the True Mandalore, who wanted to implement honorable rules of conduct for all Mandalorians on how they earn wealth by bounty hunting or the red trade - Tor Vizsla, who dreamed of Mandalorians returning to their roots as conquerors, split away and formed the Death Watch, becoming the Secret Mandalore. The Death Watch used the Darksaber (an heirloom of House Vizsla) as a symbol of their authority and made a decree than anyone could challenge the Secret Mandalore for leadership and “win” the Darksaber*

52 BBY - Tor Vizsla killed the True Mandalore, Jaster Mereel - Jango Fett’s adopted father

44 BBY - The Death Watch tricked the Jedi into eliminating the True Mandalorians for them

approx. 44-39 BBY - The Great Clan Wars take place within the ranks of the The Faithful - Adonai Kryze is killed in battle - Duchess Satine Kryze of the New Mandalorians assumes the throne of Mandalore - Tor Vizsla is killed by Jango Fett in 42 BBY - The Darksaber is entrusted to Pre Vizsla, governor of Concordia and the new Secret Mandalore of Death Watch, who takes in Bo-Katan Kryze as his protege

Since the Great Clan Wars take place after the True Mandalorians are wiped out, we know that Adonai Kryze was not part of their ranks. The following quote from Tor Vizsla concerning the Kryze family suggests that Adonai was one of his men, or was at least revered by him. Considering that Tor dies shortly after this is written, it’s not a big leap to see how Bo-Katan came to be on Concordia with Pre Vizsla, his successor.

“Meanwhile, centuries of New Mandalorian lies had left the Mando’ade weak and soft. One of my kinswomen, the Duchess Satine Kryze, had been sent offworld as a child by her father, a mighy clan warlord, and she fell prey to the lies of the Jedi. After father perished in the Great Clan Wars, she betrayed his memory by becoming the leader of the New Mandalorians. Aided by Jedi tricks, she became the newest Anti-Mandalore, whereupon the exhausted Mando’ade flocked to her banner. Some of our warriors were exiled to the moon Concordia. Others – myself included – slipped away to resume the ba’slan shev’la.” - Tor Vizsla

* The decree that one could become Mand’alor by winning the Darksaber in combat from the current Mand’alor was an invention of Death Watch (in canon and legends), so it suggests a strong tie between Death Watch and the Children of the Watch that the latter is so hung up on this “tradition” when it’s only been a thing for about 70-75 years.

#the mandalorian #mandalorian history #death watch #tor vizsla #the darksaber #house vizsla #clan vizsla #the children of the watch #true mandalorians #jaster mereel #mand'alor #duchess satine kryze #adonai kryze #bo-katan kryze #pre vizsla #paz vizlsa #din djarin

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daxieoclock · 8 months

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Hunters Masterpost 2: First Dungeon

(Refer to this post for a summary of the protagonists.)

This will be a summary of all major plot events during the Hunters campaign during the first dungeon: hunting the Celestial Behemoth.

The first few months of sessions had a lot of growing pains, including multiple player characters retconned out of "canon" so I'll be summarizing events with those retcons in mind. Without any further ado...

Chapter 1: Icarus

Our curtain rises on a quiet Friday in January at Belknap College. It's modern day (minus covid), inner state New York, and we find ourselves in the office of Belknap's dean of humanities: Erin Sakio. She's not here. She triple-booked herself with three students at the same time and didn't show up. In the meantime, those students make small talk and introduce themselves.

Blake Leto, silver tongued young celebrity, famous for being falsely accused of killing a police officer and currently on tenuous parole.

Lena Tarr, rough-talking rabblerouser with a visable limp and a penchant for lashing out at teachers and counselors alike.

Ilse Belanger, who comfortably blends into a crowd. They might qualify for valedictorian if people remembered their name.

Awkward small talk is interrupted by a parcel dropping from the ceiling onto Miss Sakio's desk. A paper wrapped object and a very living bluebird, apparently a robin. Curioisity wins over shock, and the trio unwraps the package, finding a letter addressed to Sakio and an ornate dark key.

–ensuring that your standard issue equipment is accounted for, please insert the enclosed Tindalos Key into the nearest corner. You may count yourself lucky to be among our ranks, but please know we consider you and each of your peers to be your own unique blessing. The duty you perform is beyond vital, and your success ensures that your home, your Earth, will survive. The World Must Turn On. Signed, V.P. of the Daedalus Collective.

Blake jokingly calls the bird "Icarus," a name that sticks like glue. Ilse, fiddling with the key, tries to follow the letter's instructions. After touching it to a corner of the room, the key vanishes and the walls peel open, revealing an impossible purple hallway. A gate into another world. Curiosity wins out again, and the trio head inside.

Blake, Ilse and Lena find themselves in an enormous junkyard underneath a violet sky. While they're taking in the sights, they find themselves face to face with another person, a confused looking Camellia Pavel, college dropout, who was personally delivered their own key and letter and stumbled into this world...about a half hour ago.

While Camellia gratefully chows down on a snack Lena happened to bring, Blake and Ilse take inventory of their surroundings. Blake in particular finds a small purple book, a childhood journal they lost years ago, with everything within still as it once was. As they question that impossibility, the four hear a new voice.

The boy’s impish grin widened into a crocodile smile. “My name is Puck, and this,” he gestured to the junkyard around him, “is the Spiral of Forfeit.” He kicked his heels against the backrest of the chair. “It is where lost things are found, where the abandoned flock, where the discarded may be granted a second chance at life. It is also, as you have correctly identified, my home.”

Puck warns the four of nearby "scavengers," and suggests they arm themselves before vanishing as abruptly as he appeared. Sure enough, a swarm of monsters appear: floating Jack-o-Lantern creatures made of scrap metal, shrieking accusations of thievery. Our newfound party grabs improvised weapons from the junk around them and begins to fight.

While they hold their own as well as they can, the monsters and their fire magic is too much, and the party falters. Blake, however, stares down at their journal as light erupts from their left wrist. Silver text etching itself across childhood pages, a voice without tongue.

“Fuck it… no more. I hear you.” Eyes opening again to a determined stare. “Artemis!”

An ethereal maiden, eyes closed and expression drenched in serenity, a moonlit beauty, both her long hair and that gorgeous bow in her hands braided with the same five-petal white flowers. She reached up, elegantly pulling an arrow – wood woven into a beautiful spiral with a silver arrowhead – from the quiver on her back and nocking it.

Blake brushed a stray hair out of their face and locked their gaze at Camellia. A little smirk graced their lips, and their focus turned towards the scrambling scrap-metal monsters. “If I’m to be the Killer Prince, I might as well play the part. Come then, my other self.” And they snapped their journal closed, bright light spilling forth from some glowing sigil across their wrist. “Let us hunt.”

Artemis's first attack scatters the Pyro Junks, and rallies Blake's new allies. And, it seems, causes a chain reaction. Three more glowing sigils etch themselves in flesh. Three more names leap to lips. Three more Personas make their appearance.

Lena tenses every muscle in her body, then goes almost totally limp. "Well, I'm sure not gonna let myself get pushed around by these fuckers." When she lifts her head, her grin is manic and hungry. "Goliath!"

And a brand forms there. A stone, broken in half. And the giant stands by your side, this monstrous ethereal brute, clad in engorged armor. On his shoulder, a knight, sitting as if to direct the violence. Goliath laughs again, and you can all hear the war drums in his voice.

Ilse looks up to from where they hear the voice. Their call is more of a whisper. "Clotho"

And the string is pulled taught. You know where it leads. There is pain, sharp and intense, and it fades in an instant. A brand resembling a pair of scissors, a few inches below your throat. And a newfound strength in your lungs.

Running would be so easy… wouldn't it? … No. They had more pride than that. Camellia clenched the front of their sweater with their free hand and looked to the sky, eyes twinkling as if full of stars. "Hecate."

Everyone, you feel the bells. Echoing in your ears, ringing to and fro. Hecate rears up beside you, a woman's form wrapped in violet dress, but with four canine legs, and three white-fur wolf heads sprouting from her neck. A staff in one hand, a gem at its tip shining with otherworldly energy.

The four new Persona-wielders make quick work of the swarm and head back towards the gate they came through, only to be stopped by a more fearsome beastie: a lumbering Junk Frost.

While the party holds their own, the final blow is not theirs.

"Chorus!" There is a glimmer of light, and a sudden hum. Not a buzzing but a resonance, a dozen voices in harmony. White robed figures, in masks, floating around the Junk Frost. Singing. They raise their hands in unison, and a bolt of light descends from on high. It strikes the top of the Frost's head and pierces it cleanly, smashing into the earth with a loud crash. Those figures, that Chorus, fade. And the Junk Frost just sort of teeters there for a moment before falling back completely.

As the defeated Junk Frost lets off smoke, you can see someone standing behind the felled monster. A figure in the smoke. You can't make them out at first, but then as some nonexistent wind blows away the smoke, and you can see them clearly.

It's a woman, with reddish-brown hair tied into a tight bun. She's wearing something resembling a knight's armor, but it's made of white cloth, light but effective-looking. A cape-like cloth is draped over her right arm. In her left, she carries a rapier, which seems to shimmer in this odd light. And she is staring at you, with blue eyes wide and her jaw hanging open. You know this woman. You know her very well. But you don't quite remember her every having a tattoo – you think you might recall something as audacious as a musical note tattooed on her throat. And you definitely wouldn't have expected to see her here.

And Miss Sakio, dean of humanities, splutters out "what the absolute fuck."

Chapter 2: The World Turns On

Miss Sakio leads the party back through the gate into her office, her ostentatious outfit vanishing as she steps back into reality, replaced with the simple sharp suit she usually wears. Even though she, Camellia, Blake, Ilse and Lena are all exhausted, the five still field a long conversation, with the party catching Sakio up on what they just went through, and Sakio herself pulling back the curtain on the hidden world they've stumbled into.

The junkyard is the Spiral of Forfeit, one of many areas within a world known as Fractals, a dark mirror of our world. The monsters the party faced are variant species of Shadow, birthed from collective fear and imagination.

Shadows tend to obey even stronger creatures, the Behemoths, which act as deities. Before they're even fully born, a Behemoth's personality and whims shape the area they call home, and Shadows in that area will align themselves with this "aesthetic," as servants to their g-d.

Behemoths are not always malicious, but they have an insatiable hunger. Even the kinder ones will eat until they grow large enough to emerge into our world, shattering the barrier between Fractals and reality, ending the world as we know it.

The Daedalus Collective is an organization that funds teams of Persona users, giving them Tindilos keys to access Fractals and assigning them to scout areas or hunt Behemoths, culling them before they can grow large enough to threaten our world.

Erin Sakio, dean of humanities at Belknap College, moonlights as a Shadow Hunter for Daedalus. She's been assigned to find the currently-unborn Behemoth that rules over the Spiral, and kill it. Her Persona is Chorus (and her Arcana is Temperance).

Personas are powerful weapons born from oaths of self-actualization. If a human in Fractals swears this oath, their true inner self will manifest under that human's control, etching a "Brand" onto their skin as proof of their bond. Each Brand is distinct, and only other Persona users can see them.

Now that the party all has their own Brands, someone from Daedalus will eventually notice and scout them. To get out ahead of it, Sakio (who distrust the organization she works for) asks the party to join Daedalus as her teammates.

After some time to think, the party agrees, and are whisked off the next day to an unmarked white office building a few miles from the college, which they can now see ethereal blue lettering on, marking it as Daedalus's HQ. Miss Sakio takes them inside to meet with Amil Fischer, her assigned "Liaison"...and ex girlfriend.

Amil used to be Sakio's teammate, but an injury on the job exacerbated his existing physical disability, leaving them reliant on Daedalus's extremely generous employment benefits. Now they act as a Liaison, ferrying orders to various teams of Shadow-Hunters, and reporting their successes and failures to the hidden higher-ups. An anonymous meritocracy is maintained.

Blake, Ilse, Lena and Camellia work through their remaining concerns and agree to work for Daedalus. Blake, impromptu leader, names the team "the Hunters;" and they are given their first mission:

Travel to the spire within the Spiral of Forfeit, climb it and slay the Celestial Behemoth at its peak.

The next few days pass in a blur as the Hunters prepare in their own ways.

Lena meets up with "Twitch" Blum, a classmate and acquaintance with a campus reputation for his public displays of anxiousness and general jumpiness. Him and Lena hit it off pretty well, but it's still an awkward affair.

Blake has an unexpectedly tense back and forth with their RA, Masumi Saito, well-kept head of the student body and "sharpest motherfucker alive" award four years running. Rumor has it she keeps a gun in her dorm and gets away with it. She also has some manner of history with "Saint Sakio," and treats Blake with cold suspicion for their newfound affiliation. The two exchange veiled barbs and then part ways.

(Masumi, though an NPC, is the creation of @lilyhoshikawa who also plays Blake, and permitted me to use Masumi for this campaign)

Ilse visits Lena (and Lena's longtime friend and roommate Rita) and the two make clear their mutual distrust of Daedalus's shady bullshit, with Lena in particular suggesting that saving Behemoths might be an option, though neither knows how to go about it yet. When Ilse returns to their room, they ponder over an old damaged angel figurine, a knickknack from their childhood friend Stephen. They remember how alone they felt when they left him. They don't feel quite as alone anymore.

Blake sees a patch of flowers near campus and remembers the field of wild sunflowers next to their home, the one they'd sneak out to when their parents would fight. They wonder if it's still there, like the journal is. Lost. To be found again.

Lena heads to the student store to spend her first paycheck from Daedalus, and gets immediately distracted helping out the two deeply bisexual work-study employees: Bee and Theo. Bee is a neurotic control freak and Theo is a former surfer dude, and the two are fucking inseparable, the best of friends. Lena offers to help them find some stolen store product (initiating a detour sidequest with Ilse I won't cover in full) and fun banter is exchanged.

Camellia's rent anxieties drive them to stop by Amil, awkwardly asking about bonus opportunities. Maybe even solo work? Amil gently pushes them to stick to working with their team, and promises to advocate for early assignment pay if things go pear-shaped in Fractals. They've got Camellia's back, same as the rest of the Hunters.

Chapter 3: The First Hunt

The Hunters assemble in a small break room in one of Belknap's buildings. Sakio used it when she and Amil were on a team together: the Hound Table. It's a windowless room with a single round table, a bunch of chairs, and a plastic potted plant. Still, pomp and circumstance and legacy. Sakio produces a Tindilos Key (rationed to her by Daedalus), opens the Gate into Fractals, and the party heads inside.

And immediately gets seperated, with Sakio landing at the base of the Spire, while the rest of the Hunters are plopped back in Puck's "living room" for another round of Q&A with the fae boy – and a chance to show off the new Fractals-only combat outfits given to them by Daedalus. After reaffirming that he's on the Hunters' side, Puck magically opens the way forward, giving them a clear shot to the Spiral Spire, home of the Celestial Behemoth, where Sakio meets back up with them.

As they all travel inside, Artemis starts feeding Blake environmental information through text in their journal, her navigational skills making themselves apparent. The Hunters go floor by floor of this tower of junk, fighting a number of minor Shadows, each made of discarded scrap. It takes them a couple days of expedition, using an in-built dumbwaiter as shortcut, and taking multiple days of break in between to not burn out.

During one of these breaks, Camellia asks Sakio to come with them on what they present as an impromptu walk in one of Belknap's graveyards. Camellia spends the whole walk cracking wise, to the point where Sakio clearly starts to suspect they're forcing it, when they reach a particularly well maintained grave. "Frey," with the last name carefully scratched out so no trace of it remains.

Camellia's mask slips as they place a metal flower on the grave. This was a friend of theirs. This was their best friend. Sakio silently takes that in, and reaches into her pocket to pull out a small scuffed metal pin with an etching of a rose on it. She places it down on Frey's grave and thanks them for the chance to meet.

Meanwhile, Lena delivers a handmade flowerpot to Amil, Ilse and Twitch visit a nearby museum together, and Blake visits their favorite place: a cat cafe named Le Petit Prince with the very old and very friendly calico Herbert.

Finally, the Hunters return to Fractals and storm through the remaining floors of the Spire. However, on their way back, they end up running into a classmate fighting for their life against a powerful Shadow. They recognize them: Sammy Cabra, college freshman and general Silly Fellow (gender neutral). Sammy found the blue robin Icarus in reality and was guided to and through the gate, where they found themselves in Fractals and awakened to their persona: Neko Shogun The Hunters help rescue Sammy, and after a quick debate, agree to have them become part of the team. Sakio takes Sammy to get registered with Daedalus, and the rest of the Hunters crash, resting up for the Behemoth fight.

Chapter 4: Red Bloom

After a few days of rest, recuperation and bond-building with their new teammate, the Hunters return to Fractals. Sakio, Blake, Ilse, Lena, Camellia and Sammy use the dumbwaiter to ascend the Spire, stepping out into the tenth floor vestibule, beyond which the birthing Behemoth waits in his chamber.

There is someone in their way. Someone who radiates fury and strength. Someone who may not be exactly human.

The moment she sees the woman, Sakio lets out a sound like she's been stabbed, eyes wide and fearful. She stands motionless at the top of the stairs, frozen. Almost shaking.

The woman gazes to the side, through those cracks in the metal of the tower walls. Has the breeze picked up? Or had it always been nearly howling, quiet, like the distant sound of snarling wolves. "My father called me his little primrose, once. I would say that's the best of the names he called me." If her tone was calm before, this is anger. Fire boiling beneath every word. "But flowery language doesn't suit this place. Ugly, and garish." She looks back at you, almost through you, like you're made of paper. "You may refer to me as Prim. Or, if you like, you need not refer to me at all."

[Full dialogue for this scene is available here for those interested.]

Prim verbally dresses down the Hunters one by one, making clear she doesn't want to stop them from killing the Behemoth. She just wants to see if they're worthy of Puck's attention, of being his crusaders. This is a test. And every word is a failure.

Sakio, furthermore, clearly has a history with this woman, a history that fills her with dread. She doesn't take a step.

But Blake does.

They tuck their book under one arm, right hand reaching over and gripping their left wrist tightly. “To answer your question. I do intend to take full responsibility for my teammates here. And if you’re intent on interfering, I ask that you…” they flinch, muttering a curse under their breath. “I ask that you go through me first.”

While Prim isn't phased by this display, Blake's courage does soften her approach somewhat, giving the remaining Hunters a chance to freely advocate for their worth. When Lena openly mocks Prim's sharpness, Prim lists off three names: Vladamir, Amelie, Roland. Three of Daedalus's that she's killed. Three of Daedalus's that Sakio watched her kill.

When she turns her attention to Camellia, Prim finds an odd ethereal resistance, like the air itself wants her to leave them alone.

"How curious. And here I thought he didn’t pick favorites.”

After one last bout of open disdain, Prim manifests a shadowy flicker, like a Persona bathed in dark, and uses it to punch a hole in the vestibule wall, vanishing through it.

The Hunters explode in argument, all ire turned towards Sakio and her festering secrets, but she pleads with them to wait. She'll answer their questions, she promises, but they need to kill the Behemoth still. Begrudgingly, the party makes their way into the room beyond the vestibule and prepare for battle.

The world uncurls. Almost as if it's resisting the motion, pulling back into a form by strength of will alone. You finally see the thing before you, the so-called Celestial Behemoth, in all its horrid glory. His skin is grey and stretched, like a bodysuit pulled too tight, and it's covered in green lines and odd indentations like inconsistent scales. His hands are outstretched, fingers long as his palm. And his wide mouth is full of sharp teeth, and a long black tongue that lolls out the side. Bulging eyes spinning in a reptilian skull. Those eyes focus. First up, towards the sky. Then down, towards you. And he screams. A roar that could spit the heavens.

Blake, your journal snaps open. Shuddering with fear and hunger, Artemis writing not in silver but in crimson ink as dark as blood.

The Celestial Behemoth Star Arcana J A B B E R W O C K

[Full fight and extra art is available here for those interested]

The Jabberwock is a more powerful opponent than any they've faced before, protected by a divine veil and habitually charging up devastating attacks behind an anti-magic barrier. The Hunters are caught off-guard by one of these attacks, explosions rocking the room. Camellia uses their last Salvation to protect Ilse. But Sammy, just out of their reach, is knocked unconscious.

Sakio, in a panicked rush, crushes a golden bead – a late-game revival item – and sprinkles the dust over Sammy, who gasps back to lucidity. Still injured, but conscious again. When the Hunters recover from the shock of seeing their teammate collapse, they turn back to the Jabberwock with vengeance in their eyes and hearts. Sakio stops holding back, and empowers her students with an enhanced version of her Rebel Will skill.

The Counterstrike begins.

The Hunters unload damage on the Jabberwock, bringing it to its knees for Sakio to deliver the coup de gras, sending the reptilian Celestial through the floor of the arena, crashing down through layer after layer of its Spire. It does not rise again.

Part 1 Epilogue: Red Wilt

The Hunters return to the Hound Table, spent beyond belief. Once again, they turn to Sakio, waiting for her. The truth, as promised.

"After I left my first BaSH team – after Amil was injured – I joined a Daedalus operation requiring a large number of Persona-users, to slay multiple Behemoths which had cohabitated together and grown as one." She purses her lips. "The Director oversaw that operation firsthand. And, once it had been completed, that was when she struck." Her tone tense, eyes distant. "She injured multiple Daedalus operatives in a mad gambit to murder the Director. Two of the Director's personal aids were..." Sakio trails off. "From the reports afterwards, all I was told is she is likely some manner of rogue Persona-user who has decided to ally herself with the Behemoths, for whatever reason." And she looks at Blake. "That is all I know."

It's not the full truth. But it's not a lie either. The party leaves, exhausted, frustrated. Victorious and unsatisfied.

Blake, Lena, Ilse, Camellia and Sammy wake to the sound of a robin's song and the corner of their rooms peeling open. A gate not violet, but a steady velvet blue. Through it, they find themselves back in Fractals, in Puck's junkyard abode. The Spire collapsed, but the Spiral remains.

Puck greets the party warmly, congratulating them both on slaying their first Behemoth and being lucky enough to be visited by Prim – a joy he hasn't shared for months now. The two clearly have history, but Prim has resigned herself to solitude, and her visits have become more and more frequent. And, he won't tell the party what her "deal" is. Secrets better kept than confessed.

However, he does expand the limits of his services. Through his permission, the Hunters (Sakio excluded) may freely travel into Fractals to visit him without the use of a Tindilos key. He'll also keep a stock of valuable items, purchasable with simple and generous barter (a little snack here or there). And...should they wish to speak Prim again for whatever reason (Lena and Blake seem especially interested)...he'll find a way to let them.

The curtain closes on a little fae boy's impish smile, and the distant grumbling of a red-eyed murderer.

TO BE CONTINUED...

#the hunters #blake leto #ilse belanger #sammy cabra #lena tarr #camellia pavel #erin sakio #amil fischer #masumi saito #lucy twitch blum #puck #prim

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